Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A Book in Review: Mr. Monk in Outer Space

Mr. Monk in Outer Space By: Lee Goldberg
fiction: mystery, TV 274 pages
Book Count: 87


This book is based on the Monk TV show. It takes place a couple of years before the end of the show as it is told by his assistant Natalie whose daughter is 12 in the story. In this book Mr. Monk has the solve the mystery of who killed the creator of a show called Beyond Earth, a sci-fi show with a cult following much like Star Trek (complete with its own alien language). Also, do to a invisible coffee stain and a hamster at Natalie's house Monk moves in with his brother, Ambrose while he gets new carpeting. Which turns out to be helpful as his brother is an expert in the show, even writing books on the subject. With his brother's help he solves this case as well as 4 other ones.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

A Book in Review: Good Eats the Early Years

Good Eats the Early Years By: Alton Brown
Non-Fiction cooking, science 381 pages
Book Count: 86

This book goes over every episode of the show "Good Eats" up to #80 from the 6th season of the show. It includes all of the recipes including a few with updates and/or improvements. It also has all the tips and tidbits that make the show so fun and informative. It also has behind the scenes information like the secret identity of W.

Friday, December 24, 2010

British Christmas



Now I know why the British see aliens every Christmas. How many drinks do you need for one holiday, not even counting the brandy in the "pudding"

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Just Another Christmas Song - Stephan Colbert

A Book in Review: Hot Six

Hot Six by: Janet Evanovich
Fiction: Mystery 294 pages
Book Count: 85

The review of book before this one can be found about two days down from here.

In this book Ranger is in trouble with the law. First, a new cop on the force actually charged him with carrying a gun without a permit. He skips on his bond as he is also the last person to see the son of a gun runner alive and is thought to be his killer. For once Miss Plum doesn't want to get the bounty and gives it to her enemy, but that doesn't stop the mob from thinking she's on the case. Nor does it stop the crazy things that always happen to her from happening; her grandma moves in with her after an incident with a taser, she gets a dog on accident, cars get wrecked, she's attacked by Romulans with crab puffs, you know the usual.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Snoopy's Christmas

An Audio Book in Review: A Dirty Job

A Dirty Job by: Christopher Moore
Fiction: humor

Charlie Asher is your normal, everyday Beta Male; until, his wife dies shortly after the birth of his daughter. He sees people and things that no one else can, including a number of glowing red things in his second hand shop. Soon he learns that he is a "death Merchant" one of many people in the city that run re-sale shops and collect people's souls after they die. But, things aren't even normal for him as a soul collector, instead of just collecting souls after death, he has caused deaths. And the "Great Big Book of Death" has nothing in it to explain things. (Being as it is only 28 pages with illustrations it doesn't have much of anything in it.


Like other books by Christopher Moore this one has a great list of characters in it. Besides Charlie there is his daughter; who's pet all seam to die, Mrs. Ling; who doesn't mind getting red of all the dead animals, Mrs. Korjev; who is "like bear", Lily; Charlie's goth employee, Ray the former cop who is looking for love on-line, Jane; charlie's sister who steals his clothes, Minty Fresh, "the Puppies"; who enjoy eating EVERYTHING, the Emperor, the squirrel people, and the " sewer harpies"; who are ancient demons.
10 CDs 12 Hours

Monday, December 20, 2010

Dr. Who Sings a Carol



You would think that some one between 450 and 1,000+ years (depending on which serie's timeline you follow) would know the words to the song by now.

A Book in Review: High Five

High Five By: Janet Evanovich
Fiction: Mystery 292 pages
Book Count: 84

The book before in the series is reviewed here. (with links to the earlier books) In this book Stephanie has only small jobs to work on. (pun noted) But that doesn't stop her from getting in big trouble with her cars being destroyed every few hours. Plus, with little pay for all her work she desides to get work helping Ranger with some of his other jobs. And things heat up between the two of them (Not that Morelli is out of the picture, even if she is out of his house.) In fact the book ends with a cliff hanger involving the two men.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)

A Book in Review: TCIGT: Creative Writing

The Complete Idiot's Guide to: Creative Writing By: Laurie E. Rozakis, Ph.D.
Non-fiction: writing 333 pages
Book Count: 83

First, I liked that this book included information on writing fiction and non-fiction creative writing. (I found it odd that poetry was in the non-fiction section). Also this book deals with all sorts of creative writing from short stories to screen plays and has useful sounding information in how to get each type of writing in print. This includes information on the pros and cons of self-publishing and some information on e-publishing. This book is only around six years old so much of the online information is still good. There is one piece of information about on-line books that I have to wonder if it was correct even then, that being that you can't copyright it. As from what I have read in other places whole web sites can get copyrighted and the on-line work should have the same basic copyright protection as any written work. (Not, that it is all that easy to protect a copyright on something on-line, but as it was mainly talking about it in a system where you aren't getting paid for it anyway, as you can't get it published any other way. . .) Anyway this book did have some useful information in it, especially if you are wanting to write a memoir or need writing prompts.

Friday, December 03, 2010

An Audio Book in Review: As Easy As Falling Off The Face Of The Earth

As Easy As Falling Off The Face Of The Earth By: Lynne Rae Perkins
Fiction: YA, adventure

This is the story of Ry a 15 year old boy who is taking the train to summer camp while his parents are on vacation and his grandfather is watching the dogs in his family's new home. On the way he learns that camp is closed and gets off the train when it stops in the middle of nowhere Montana to call his family. The train starts up without him, and from there things start to go bad. By the time he gets to town he is missing a boot, has a nearly closed up black eye, a bloody nose, is hungry, dehydrated and cell phone is dead. Unknown to him the rest of his family are also experiencing a series of improbable events leaving Ry on his own.

This book is a fun adventer novel with constant action and bits of humor mixed in to make it not seam as over the top as the story is. For example, I love the part were he thinks about how he is getting a ride to a local restaurant after being offered a mint as taking a ride with a stranger after getting candy from them as novels like this often includes people doing all those things your parents told you not to, with out any thought to that.

7 Cds 7.75 Hours

The Chanukah Song Part 3- Sandler

Thursday, December 02, 2010

A Book in Review: Four to Score

Four to Score By: Janet Evanovich
fiction: mystery 294 pages
Book Count: 82


I reviewed the first three books here, here, and here. In this book Stephanie is sent to collect a woman who took her boyfriend's vehicle. Of course, this job is no wear as simple as it seams. The bail jumper is missing and her friends and family end up missing body parts or dead. Her sleazy uncle gave the same job to Joyce Barnhardt, a woman she couldn't stand before she found her naked on the table with her then husband. Her things keep getting blown up. Interesting things happen with Joe Morelli and his family. And she picks up a new helper, Sally Sweet a rock star transvestite.

The Chanukah Song Part 2 - Sandler



Skip the first 30 seconds. This is the only version with Adam Sandler that I could find with embeding.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Original Hanukkah Song - Sandler

The Chanukah Song - Neil Diamond



Just for you Jenny, Neil Diamond!

An Audio Book in Review: Married with Zombies

Married with Zombies- Living with the Dead 1 by: Jesse Petersen
Fiction: paranormal, humor

Given the extended title it appears to be book one in a series, and the book itself did leave space for there being more books; however, it could also stand alone too. This is the story of Sarah and David a couple who's marriage is in serious trouble. They both have thought about getting a divorce, but have spent 6 months in couples' counseling trying to work things out. On day on the way to the counselor's office they notice between fighting that the normally congested streets of Seattle are rather empty, so is the office building. In fact they don't run into anyone until they get into the counselors office and find her eating the appointment before theirs. Now they have to work together to live threw the center of the zombie apocalypse.
Each section includes a helpful hint at the beginning to help other couples in similar situations. Hints like "it's better to be alive then right." Because even when fighting zombie couples have to deal with issues like whose turn is it to blow the face off of a former friend and do we really need all those things from the store we're looting?


6 CDs 7 hours 53 minutes